Research seminar series 2011-2012

Dr Danny Dorling, University of Sheffield

Britain is unusual amongst the affluent nations. In several nations more money is spent on providing a good education for those with greatest need rather than for those who appear to find learning easier, it can be argued. In Britain, education spending tends to be highest for those from already often advantaged backgrounds. This is especially the case at secondary school level, whereas of all the countries in the OECD, only Chile sees a more disproportionate spend on the best-off. High rates of exclusion from school tend to be concentrated among poorer children and can lead to almost nothing being spent on their education. Britain again is unusual in this respect. In this talk it is argued that these traits are symptomatic of a wider malaise in British society, and are not specifically problems of education. In short, we are not very good at sharing. Someone always has to be bottom of the class, but when they find themselves there what should they do about it?